Hello fellow Pulaski Master Gardeners!

My first message focused on all the possibilities for our organization. This time I will focus on the fact that another “P” word, perfect, is overrated and overused. “Perfect” is one of the buzz words used by people in all lines of work. One gives your correct name and address to someone and the response is, “perfect.” Who knew you could be so, perfect, so easily!  It validates and makes one feel good.

My oldest grandchild, Emma, taught me perfection is overrated. She was born with two congenital defects and recently diagnosed with a third. (This is extremely rare). She was given six weeks to live due to the fact she was born with only one of her ventricles in her heart working. She was given a death sentence when the working ventricle began malfunctioning.

She was beautiful on the outside but not at all perfect on the inside. Through many miracles she survived and is now 13. She is one of a kind; no one has ever survived her diagnosis. Medical articles have been written about her even though she is not perfect. A park has been dedicated to her and kids like her. She is in a wheelchair, fed through a tube 24/7, on many medications and therapies and is slowly becoming more verbal. She has brought her family and community much joy!  Will Emma ever be perfect or even typical, no. But perhaps the word, perfect, IS overused and overrated. Maybe perseverance, patience and plucky (brave in the face of adversity) are more important words. 

When we consider our PCMG organization, our projects, our project leaders, and standing committees, etc., we find they are not perfect. But the people who are leading are giving more time, more of their talents and more energy to accomplish the many possibilities that are before us. Find joy in accomplishments no matter that they are not perfect. Partner with other PCMGs to assist us in being the best we can be. Be patient as issues are worked through. And finally, be at peace, knowing you are not perfect but you did your very best. As we inspect our projects and personal gardens, after the very unusual winter ice and snowstorm, give yourself grace to begin again, to find joy in rebirth and new opportunities. Go forth and garden with purpose and positivity instead of perfection!

Warm regards,
Michele Wasson

Don’t forget – Master Gardeners have access to an online calendar containing interesting/important events. You can find this calendar using the link below:

Pulaski County Master Gardener Event Calendar

If you would like to submit photos for the 2027 MG Calendar – the deadline is June 18, 2026.  Submit entries to Mike Wilbanks at 870-530-0669.  [email protected]. 

By Jeffrey McKinley, Scholar’s Garden

Master Gardeners in Pulaski County are a part of a broad community network. Each of our 31 projects has a unique personality. Our missions include preservation of historic gardens, rehabilitative activities, plant propagation for greenhouse sales, development of woodland and butterfly gardens, growing roses and many more. When writing this article (as a 14-year member of PCMG and my project), it made me consider the personality of The Scholar’s Garden at the Clinton Presidential Center.

The Clinton Presidential Library is one of 16 presidential libraries in the U.S.  When dedicated in November 2004, the Clinton Library sat on approximately 17 acres and housed the largest archival collections of any U.S. President. The Clinton Foundation requested consideration that the Garden become a PCMG Project. The Scholars’ Garden became an approved project in the summer of 2005. From the beginning, the Master Gardeners have enjoyed the support of the Clinton Foundation and are considered volunteers at the Clinton Library — for hours, social events and volunteer benefits. 

The garden was designed as a contemporary linear garden with three, virtually identical, rectangular sections to compliment the functional and environmentally sustainable Library that is set on the Arkansas River. The original design of the Garden contemplated growth of trees which would cause an evolution of the gardens from all sun to sun and shade. Two early challenges were dealing with a large amount of construction materials and trees. Where was the easiest place to dump construction refuse? In the nicely designed beds in the Garden. No amount of soil amendment could destroy this stuff.  Eventually, renovation was done that allowed for the removal of large amounts of these materials, but some still exists today. The Bosque Elm trees did not adapt. Today, the trees are Chinese Pistache and Willow Oak.            . 

Framed in  Dwarf Yaupon holly, the original plantings included Goldflame spirea, rudbekia, and Russian sage.  The Garden now includes Limelight hydrangeas, Little Henry itea, Japanese Holly fern, Guacamole hosta, Heuchera coral bells,  and hellebore. An herb garden provides the chef and his staff at 42 Bar and Table with culinary herbs. Seasonal color is provided by three large urns which are anchored by Sky Pencil Holly.  Good Earth Nursery supplies the plants.

Unique to the Scholars Garden are the Flight 93 Roses named for the 9/11 heroes who died on United Flight 93.  This one-of-a-kind genetic tea rose was developed to fund the Flight 93 National Memorial.  The  dark red rose with white stripe on the petals is from “Mr. Lincoln and Chrysler Imperial.”  Flight 93 Roses may be found in eight of the Presidential Library gardens.

A unique quality to our project is the widely diverse groups who visit.  After a community event, we may find plastic Easter eggs or confetti.  In the morning, students of all ages arrive, some en route to the School of Public Service, others waiting on the bus.  Visitors from all states arrive.  Many think we are employees so we can answer many questions. It’s just a lovely garden where you can take a break or stop for a bit before a trip over the Arkansas River on the pedestrian bridge. There is something for everyone here.

Today, 19 gardeners are led by Diane Ravnik, Chair, and Heather McCastlain, Co-Chair, who follow in the footsteps of many wonderful leaders.  And, two from the most recent MG class joined us last winter.

So, what is the personality of the Scholars’ Garden?  The Garden of the Presidential Library is special. The ability to creatively adapt to change has been key to keeping the garden growing and appealing.  We continue to work closely with the Foundation staff.  Ann Kamps, with the Clinton Foundation, joined our holiday lunch and described the possible plans to incorporate the newly purchased Heifer site and additional acreage into the Library system. This will allow expanded public space and archives for Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s documents. Importantly, we eagerly await the new landscaping and garden opportunities to greet the many, many visitors.

Planting will soon bring color to the Garden as the roses begin to bloom.  Drop in for a visit!

By Danella Snider, Pinnacle Mountain

We have all seen it, we all laugh about it in polite company, and some of us…some of us have performed the dire act we shudder over in public. I am talking about “Crepe Murder” – the ferocious topping of Crepe Myrtle.

My first experience with Crepe Myrtle and Crepe Murder occurred in Alabama. A native of the Western United States, I had never seen such a plant. It was magenta and beautiful with a mass of twisting flowering branches, sitting on the corner of a property belonging to one of my husband’s co-workers.

You do not realize how pretty Crepe Myrtle are until you go someplace where the species do not grow, or you see one for the first time. After our first summer there, I was excited to witness the myrtle in full bloom again, and a bit shocked to see the plant chopped down to the point of no recognition when we drove past the property. When asked, my husband’s co-worker shrugged and said it will grow back.

I also notice the other Crepe Myrtles – in different but equally beautiful colors, and in much more pleasing form. These plants were a more uniform shape with a wider base narrowing to a vaselike form. It was not until I moved to Little Rock and completed my Master Gardener coursework that I realized the pruning method my husband’s co-worker used — “Crepe Murder” — was not the preferred method of pruning, especially if you want a more uniform and well-trained plant.

If you want to keep a well-formed Crepe Myrtle, choose 5 to 7 main leaders removing any other stems that form from the base. Remove small side branches and encourage the elongation of the selected leaders and remove branches growing inward to allow for light and airflow.

Avoid topping the plant…otherwise known as “Crepe Murder.”

In addition to “Crepe Murder,” which I must admit has the catchy headline to start off this section, there are other things to avoid in the garden, not atrocities per se, but good practices to keep your plants and your space safe, healthy and happy.

Dead Tree Limbs

Not just unsightly but a safety hazard, leaving dead tree limbs to rot and fall makes your yard and garden a hazard to the eyes and body. Keep those limbs trimmed.

Pruning Too Soon

Make sure spring blooming plants have a chance to show their blooms before pruning. You do want to ensure air and sunlight can reach the interior of your plant but Spring flowering shrubs should be pruned after blooming (and avoid pruning in late summer or fall).

Over Pruning

Avoid over pruning. Remember in mature trees (trunk larger than 18 inches), no more than 10 percent of the canopy should be removed. In younger plants, no more than one-third of the canopy should be removed.

Overcrowding

When planning out a new bed, or trying to decide what to supplement in your existing bed, remember, those baby plants will gain size. As plants mature they will compete for space, sun, water – everything needed for survival. Overcrowding may look good in the beginning but as your plants develop, the lack of space becomes evident and the garden suffers. Be sure to plan and plant for the final result rather than filling blank spaces early on. 

Sun Lovers in the Shade

I know, I know, sun is hard to come by in some of our gardens. I struggle with finding enough light for everyone and wish the coneflowers and Black Eyed Susans would find a perfect spot to thrive under the red oak trees in my yard, but they refuse. Sun lovers will not thrive in the shade and shade lovers get a bit crispy in the sun (die, they die in the sun). I still try to push the limit from time to time, but sun loving plants just do not do well in the shade.

Non-Sterilized Tools and Pots

As I write this post, the idea of Spring is hidden under what I can only assume is about a million inches of ice. But it will melt, buds will form (except for my poor Camellia bush which does appear to be done for the season) and things will grow again. To avoid spreading unwanted ick amongst your plants be sure to sterilize your tools and pots. Like the old saying goes “an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.”

Dull Tools

Tired arms and frayed cuts are all you are going to get with dull tools. Rather than trying to beat that stem to death with dull sheers or exhausting your shoulders breaking into the soil with something akin to a soup spoon, get those tools sharpened. It will benefit you in the end and make those garden chores much easier.

By Jeffrey McKinley, Scholar’s Garden

“There should be beds of roses, banks of roses, bowers of roses, hedges of roses, edgings of roses, baskets of roses, vistas and alleys of roses.”

Rev. Samuel Reynold Hale, from “A Book About Roses,” 1869

Roses

Early in my gardening days, a lady who was a self-taught gardener and who maintained a beautiful rose garden shared her tips for spring.  For Floribundas and Hybrid Teas, trim one-half (or a little more) of the canes on February 13 and fertilize with 13-13-13. Depending on the weather forecast, I generally follow this rule. This year the fertilizer was a light dose of 14-14-14. In about 30 days, a granular systemic in a small amount of peat will be applied. Manure can be used. The canes on my bushes are covered in new growth.

Cantrell Gardens currently has hundreds of rose bushes available.  A list is available on site or check the website at: cantrellgardens.com (discount offered to PCMGs).

Growing a $5,000 Plant?

In the last article, a Variegated Monstera was featured in Southern Living, notably Monstera deliciosa “Albo Borsogiana” (a rare specimen which sold in 2020 for $5,000 in a New Zealand on-line auction).  The variegation appears as white patches on the split leaves that must generally occur from a cutting. 

My two cuttings that I ordered in early January arrived on February 14.  The roots were encased in mesh around root soil and had three tiny leaves.  The picture below shows the growth. (Tip: To check moisture in the pot, I use a zip tie. If the soil is dry, there is no moisture  on the tie.)

More to follow….       

Nurseries & Natives

Nurseries – Many nurseries and suppliers in Pulaski County offer discounts to Master Gardeners.  A complete list is being compiled. In the meantime, these have confirmed that a discount is offered. Some require that your membership card be presented at time of sale, so make sure to take it along.

• Cantrell Gardens
• Botanica Gardens
• Plantopia
• Good Earth

Searching for Natives?

A list of these vendors is being prepared.  To begin:

Pine Ridge Gardens  – Brent Baker, Owner
10989 Fulton Road, Dardanelle, AR 72834
479-970-9143
www.pineridgegardens.com

Spring hours begin Saturday, May 21, and the gardens will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. For those of you who haven’t seen the new location, make the trip. The nursery is beautiful and well-stocked. 

Brent’s plants will be for sale at the spring online native plant sale, hosted by the Little Rock Audubon Center. The sale runs from April 7 through April 14, with curbside pickup at the LRAC on April 24 and 25. Brent shares: “This is a great way for central AR customers to have access to several native plant vendors all at once, with a convenient centralized pickup location.” 

Seeding

My seeds and supplies arrive daily.  It’s time to seed!!

By Sally Wyatt, Jess Odom Community Center, and Michele Wasson, 2026 President

If you want tried and true gardening tips, go to one who has tried them all. That’s what Michele Wasson did when she asked Arline Jackson, one of Pulaski County’s long-time Master Gardeners, to list her favorites.

“Arline is an institution, a bulwark of our organization,” Michele explained. “She is chair of both the Event and Sunshine committees. She also serves on MG Helping Hands. Last summer she had major foot surgery and was not able to get out of her home except for rare occasions. I asked her to write up all her sage gardening tips while she was unable to drive in order to preserve them. She did so — by hand! Arline is a great woman of faith. When my dad died in February last year, she brought me handmade gifts, food and books to guide me through my grief. What a fabulous lady she is!!”

Tips from Arline:

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• Stop bleeding from working in the garden by applying black pepper or powdered sage.
• Deer Deterrent:  place sheets of bubble wrap around your garden. Weigh down with rocks, boards, etc. Deer will not walk on bubble wrap.
• Row cover: bubble wrap can also be used to protect your tender vegetation from Jack Frost.

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Tips from Arline:

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• Slug stopper: stop them dead in their tracks by drawing a THICK chalk line.
• Keep ants out of outdoor storage containers and buildings by drawing a heavy chalk line near the entryway. 
• Do you want to keep slugs away? Place some charcoal briquettes in a bag and hammer away. Then sprinkle the charcoal dust around the area to protect.

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Arline’s gardening journey started years ago. She owned her own business and worked a six-day week, but she always wanted to be a Master Gardener. “One of my wonderful, faithful customers said she’d work the hours I was in training so I could become a Master Gardener,” she recalled. “I will always remember her for doing so.”

Tips from Arline:

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• Make a butterfly spa by sinking an old dish in the ground in a sunny flowerbed. Fill it with sand, keep the sand damp and you will draw butterflies from miles away.
•  Use your broken cups, saucers and dishes by placing them in a flower garden (pretty side up) to help keep weeds down and conserve moisture.
• For your hummingbird feeders, wad up some duct tape and attach it to the feeder hanger to keep out ants. 

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Arline chose the Farmer’s Market on Clinton Avenue to work on Saturday mornings as it was close to her neighborhood. In addition, she has also served on the Event and Travel Committees and is pleased that so many new people have joined the committees this year. She also volunteers at the Extension Office, and buys door prizes to be given away.

Tips from Arline:

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• Mix one cup of flour and two tablespoons of cayenne pepper, then put the mix in a flour sifter. Sift the mix on young cabbage plants. This will help control cabbage worms.
•  Recycle medicine bottles with the labels removed to store seeds for use next year. Remember to label the seeds.
• The long white ties you bring home from the grocery store on your greens can be used to tie up next year’s flower and vegetable gardens.

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She also worked very hard for several years to have the City of Little Rock name a day as Master Gardener Appreciation Day, which was successfully accomplished in 2024, thanks to the support of Pulaski County Judge Barry Hyde.

Tips from Arline:

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• For winter protection of tender shrubs use old foam coolers. Cut a couple of small vents in the bottom and invert the cooler over the plant. Anchor it in place with a medium/large rock or two.
• To discourage moles, gophers and groundhogs, drop 1/4 cup or so of used kitty litter every four to five feet in their runs.
•  To prevent clay pots from sticking, place a single sheet of newspaper inside of each pot before stacking.

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“When I work in my garden, I have someone always by me in spirit and it is my meditation time,” she added. Arline spent the past 30 years collecting plants for what she calls her “Friendship Garden,” since so many were given her by dear, sweet friends.

Gardening is one of the best hobbies for brain health because it yields a sense of accomplishment which is then linked with better cognitive health.

Arline Jackson

By Sally Wyatt, Jess Odom Community Center

Falling for “Volunteer” plants – Sometimes a plant will just show up in your landscaping, and you may think, “Wow, nature sure is kind!” The house I bought here in Maumelle had incredibly neglected landscaping, so I was delighted to find daffodil and crocus bulbs randomly sprout here and there in the spring. It was a lovely surprise, but not all “volunteers” are welcome. At my old house, I was delighted to find a volunteer palm had sprouted near our fence. It was a nice-looking plant and had handsomely wide fronds. My husband wasn’t too happy with it, but I insisted it stay. It’s a free tree, I reasoned. However, after a few short years, the palm had grown so tall, and its trunk base so wide, that it was threatening to push over the fence. And, the older palm fronds had also developed near-lethal sharp thorns, making trimming it a dangerous chore. We also learned that it would be difficult to find any tree service willing to cut it down, as palm trunks are incredibly fibrous and landfills in our area would not accept the trunk. So, the task was left to my husband, who blew through several chainsaw blades before finally cutting it down. Needless to say, I had to promise no more volunteers in our yard.

Horseradish – My husband just loved horseradish and so I thought I’d make it up to him by planting some. Some people love the tang of horseradish and there’s nothing quite like the flavor, especially from a freshly ground root. Seriously. But folks, it’s a risky choice to take a whiff of that root when freshly ground. Some have described the moment as forcing a sneeze so intense it runs through the soles of your feet. For me, I immediately sensed the exact location of my olfactory lobe. Not a sensation I’d like to repeat.

If after all this you think growing your own sounds fun, take these words of advice: Don’t just plop a horseradish root anywhere in the garden. First, this plant isn’t very good looking, so it shouldn’t be a frontrunner in your garden. Horseradish grows voraciously and its roots are very invasive. Before long, you’ll be digging that foliage up from every corner of your garden. You can avoid the problem by planting the root in a bucket and then sink that into the ground. That should keep it contained. Mint is also a very invasive plant that should be contained. If you try to dig it up, you’ll be frustrated when it re-sprouts from leaves, roots and stems.   

Compost of unknown origins. A neighbor once offered some leftover “compost” he had acquired somehow. We were early in our gardening experiences and thought it extremely generous and gratefully added it to our vegetable garden. Uh oh. Soon, the garden was awash in weeds. That compost gift probably had not been “cooked” enough to kill off the weed seeds. Upon further thought, we wondered where did the compost actually come from, anyway? Was it made of lawn clippings and fertilizer, manure and dog droppings, fallen leaves and shredded colored paper? Yikes. Now I’m careful to only add organic compost of known origins that are black or dark brown, and sweet smelling.

Berry delicious. I planted a couple of boysenberry vines along our side fence, in the hopes that the children could pick enough berries for snacking, jams and pies.

Mistake No. 1: I should have planted thornless boysenberry plants. As I learned later, when it comes time to pick the berries and trim back the vines, those thorns can leave your arms looking like you had a run-in with a pack of feral cats.

Mistake No. 2: Not initially providing something for the vines to crawl up and around on the fence. Sure, literature will suggest you do this, I just didn’t think the vines would grow so vigorously and soon they were all over the fence and well out onto the walking path. So, the second year, my husband nailed up cattle fencing so that I could weave that new growth up through the fencing and off the ground. We had lots and lots of berries, and everybody loved the jam.

Mistake No. 3. Not checking on the kids when their play in the yard became just too quiet. Upon investigation, I found them picking fistfuls of berries and throwing them against the house and squishing them between their fingers to simulate a “disaster scene.”  Okay, kids. Here’s a bucket and a brush. Mistake No. 4. Becoming so frustrated with the “bramble” of vines one year that I hastily cut them all down to the ground, all at once. Well, there were no berries the next spring. Boysenberries bear fruit on last year’s canes, so we had to wait two years for more berries.

Realization No. 1: Having those berries ready for picking just before Memorial Day was well worth the effort, the scratches and the maintenance. My friends and family loved the jam and would faithfully save the jars so I could fill them again. My neighbors let the vines grow over the fence because they loved the fresh fruit, and the people who bought my house asked that I leave directions on how to care for the vines. I’m growing thornless Ouachita blackberries in my new yard.  Wish me luck!

By Sally Wyatt, Jess Odom Community Center

The number of calls coming into the Hotline at the Extension office naturally starts to increase as March rolls around, and two things are top of mind for most people, according to Derek Reed, Pulaski County Horticulture Agent.

“They’re asking about frost damage and how to recognize the signs of it,” he noted, while others, eager to start planting, want to know when we can expect our last frost.

The freezing rain and snow we experienced in late January, and the days of low temperatures that slowed down the thaw, may have left many plants looking raggedy and stressed, but odds are the damage may not be as bad as what we experienced in 2021. That’s because the low temperatures arrived after weeks of cold weather, allowing plants to prepare, as explained in a UA Extension “Plant of the Week” article from 2021 that Derek shares with callers looking for advice. The column, below, explains how some plants are able to protect themselves from freezing temperatures, and ends with some reassuring words.

Derek also shares an article on sunscald with callers. The condition, which occurs both in summer and winter, can affect young, thin-barked ornamental and fruit trees. In Arkansas, winter sunscald is also called frost cracking. The article is also beneficial as we head into the searing heat of summer, and a PDF can be found here:

You’d need a crystal ball to answer callers’ second question exactly, but Derek suggests looking toward early April. “The last frost in the Little Rock area is usually around April 4,” he said.

The Farmer’s Almanac surprised many with their 2026 Spring frost predictions, issued in early February. The almanac noted that our area could see our last frost much earlier than usual — somewhere between March 20 and April 1. Derek says he personally would be hesitant to plant that early, but recommends keeping an eye on temperatures just the same.

A good rule of thumb is to watch nighttime temperatures, he agreed. When they are consistently above 50, it’s generally considered a safe time to plant.

Here’s the article on frost damage that Derek shares.

UA Extension’s Plant of the Week Column: “Winter Injury to Plants” – From 2021

The 2021 Valentine’s week freeze endured by those of us living in the heartland of America will long be remembered for the havoc it caused. Record low temperatures, such as the minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit recorded here in Fayetteville, not only busted pipes but some evergreen plants look pretty rough. While some plants across the state may look grim, this type of midwinter freeze will not cause lasting damage to our gardens.

Woody plants in the temperate zone have the physics-defying ability to prevent ice crystals from forming inside plant cells when temperatures drop below freezing. The hardiest plants can delay intercellular water from freezing down to minus 40 degrees. The timberline at the top of a mountain or the southern edge of the tundra zone is a natural biological boundary where woody plants can grow no further north because temperatures fall below this always-lethal temperature.

Less hardy plants that we grow in the mid-south are not as efficient in preventing ice formation in their cells. Plants hardy to zone 6 are able to prevent water from freezing to at least minus 10 degrees, especially if the plant has had a gradual cool-down period and has had time to move internal cell water to the spaces between the cells.

Somewhat surprisingly, if plants are too dry when really low temperatures arrive, they are more susceptible to winter kill. Because the low temperature arrival was gradual and soil moisture conditions were favorable, our landscape plants were in optimum condition to endure the low temperatures this winter.

Rapid drops in temperature, either in the fall before plants have had a chance to harden off or in the spring when they have lost their hardening and the sap has started to rise in the stems is devastating to many plants. The Halloween freeze of the late 1990s and the Easter freeze of 2007 were extreme examples of these kinds of freeze events. The temperatures were only about 10 degrees below freezing, but the damage was severe because the cells were full of water.

Different parts of the plant have differing degrees of cold tolerance. Stem tissue (including trunks) are the most cold tolerant, roots the least. Crape myrtles are reliably hardy through zone 7 (0 degrees Fahrenheit), so I anticipate some trunk die-back after the 2021 freeze. The smaller branches are more susceptible to dieback than the larger trunks. Differences in location in the landscape, size of the plant and even clonal differences in cold susceptibility all influence dieback, so hold off on pruning until later in the spring when rising sap will identify the degree of injury. Though frozen back, none of the crape myrtles should have been killed outright.

Leaves and flower buds have intermediate hardiness between roots and stems. In north Arkansas a number of evergreens – nandinas, thorny Elaeagnus, Lorapetalums and even some azaleas – look like they have been assaulted with a blow torch. Their leaves are fried. Based on past experience, the leaves will be pushed off by new foliage when spring arrives and the plants should not be seriously affected. Azaleas with a more cold hardy pedigree (Kurumes, Girards, and Gables) should bloom normally while those with more southern ancestry will likely suffer some flower bud loss.

Root hardiness only comes into play when plants are grown in raised containers. Magnolias, hollies, and even oaks are all perfectly cold-hardy but their roots can be killed when temperatures drop below 20 degrees. Plants with a shallow roots system — azaleas and maples, for example — have more cold tolerance roots and can survive temperatures as low as 5-10 degrees without injury.  The extent of winter injury is often hard to determine until warmer weather arrives, so I encourage people to be patient and take a wait and see approach. Some pruning of winter-injured plants will be required, but how much is needed will be easier to determine in a few weeks.

By Sally Wyatt, Jess Odom Community Center

We wait all year for peonies to bloom and before we know it, the season is over. Not necessarily! There is a way to still have bouquets of these lovely flowers several weeks after the plants have finished blooming. 

It starts by selecting several stems with buds before the buds have started to open. They should feel like soft marshmallows, plump and round and showing a bit of color. Leave behind any buds that feel like marbles, or ones that have already started to open.

Snip the stems at a good length, maybe an inch or two longer than you would need to put in a vase. Strip off all the lower leaves and then wrap each stem in either dry paper towels or a sheet of newspaper. Make sure the stem ends are covered, and that the wrapping material is not wet.

Lay the wrapped stems in a large Ziploc bag and store them in the refrigerator. They can rest here for weeks, and even a couple of months. (I personally can’t wait that long, but it works for florists!) When it’s time to make a bouquet, remove as many stems as needed from the Ziploc bag and trim about an inch or so off the ends. Place them in a vase with cool water, and within a day or so you will have a vase full of lovely blooms.

Calling all gardeners!! Do you have a recipe you would like to share with everyone? We are looking for yummy ways to enjoy the harvest or celebrate the season. If you have a delicious treat you would like to share, send it to [email protected] or [email protected].

Do you have personal or sanctioned garden photos to share? We would love to publish them in
Magnolia Chronicle! Submit photos to Sally Wyatt at [email protected]. Story ideas are
always welcome!

Paul Pilkington, a PCMG since 2011, shared these images from his garden and when he’s not working there, he can be found lending a hand at the State Hospital.

Time is running out to experience Wye Mountain daffodils this year. The gardens are open from March 14 to March 21 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily in Bigelow, Arkansas at 22300 Highway 113. Parking is free and donations are appreciated.

                                             

Want to join the Magnolia Chronicle team? Have a story idea or photo to share? Contact Sally Wyatt at [email protected].

Did you know you can log education hours by simply reading the Magnolia Chronicle? You can add this time to the following project: Edu-Research, Newsletter/Program Lecture.